RS3 Runecrafting Training Guide

Runecrafting is one of the many skills that make up the core gameplay of Runescape 3. It can be trained in both F2P and P2P, although P2P methods are always advised. As such this RS3 Runecrafting Training Guide will focus on pay-to-play methods and predominantly focus on the fastest methods used to reach level 99 or 120. However, we will also include some alternatives Runecrafting training methods for those who want to train the skill passively, AFK or for profit.

Rune Pouches

Runecrafting Pouches are used to store essence for use during runecrafting. They allow players to carry a greater quantity of essence with them to the altar, making for significantly faster runs. Rune pouches are essential for maximising runecrafting experience when training with traditional methods such as the Abyss. The Abyss method is the fastest for runecrafting experience, so its important players obtain the relevant pouches for their level.

runecrafting pouches in rs3

The Small pouch is automatically obtained after the Abyss miniquest is complete. Medium, Large and Giant pouches can all be obtained from Abyssal Monsters in the Abyss or bought from Wizard Korvak of the Runecrafting Guild. While the Massive pouch can be bought from Wizard Fenix for 1,000 Runespan points.

Fastest Runecrafting Training Methods

Below is the fastest and most optimal methods to use to reach level 99 Runecrafting and beyond in Runescape 3. Players who want to minimise the amount of time they spend training the runecrafting skill should opt for this route.

Abyss Runecrafting: Levels 1-90/99+

Runecrafting via the Abyss is the fastest method of runecrafting in Runescape 3, providing players are using the Demonic Skull. To use the Abyss as a training method you will need to complete the “Enter the Abyss” mini-quest which will give enough experience to boost you to a minimum of level 9 runecraft. Additional quest requirements include:

  • Lost City to craft Cosmic Runes
  • Mourning’s End Part II to craft Death Runes
  • Legacy of Seergaze to craft Blood Runes
  • ‘Phite Club to craft Soul Runes

Both the Wilderness Sword 1 and Demonic Skull are highly recommended items. The wilderness sword is the fastest free teleport to edgeville, while the Demonic skull provides 3.5 times the normal experience received. With these items, players should follow the following step-by-step and craft the highest tier runes available to them:

  1. Teleport to Edgeville.
  2. Fill your runecrafting pouches and inventory with pure essence.
  3. Run north-east to the wilderness barrier.
  4. Enter wilderness and run north to the Mage of Zamorak.
  5. Teleport with the Mage of Zamorak.
  6. Follow the nearest, usable shortcut to enter the center of the abyss.
  7. Run and enter the rift for your chosen rune.
  8. Craft runes at altar.
  9. Repeat process.

Optimal Inventory and Gear Setup

Soul Runecrafting: Levels 90-99+

soul runes

Soul Runecrafting is unlocked at level 90 runecraft, providing players have completed ‘Phite Club quest and have tier 9 menaphos reputation. While this method is the fastest runecrafting experience in the game right now, its also significantly more AFK to train than the others.

As players will need to charge the altar with essence before redeeming the runes and experience. Each charge is created from 4 pure essence and the altar can hold up to 100 charges at once. Each charge is added one at a time and this is where the AFK part comes in.

The exact same steps can be used to train with this method via the Abyss. However, to increase experience rates players can charge the altar with fastest teleport method before travelling through the abyss with a Demonic Skull to claim the experience and runes on a fully charged altar. The steps are as follows:

  1. Charge soul altar with 400 pure essence using fairy ring C-K-Q.
  2. Teleport to edgeville.
  3. Collect pure essence and Demonic Skull.
  4. Teleport to the Abyss via the Mage of Zamorak.
  5. Head to Soul Altar entrance.
  6. Craft Soul runes at altar and repeat process.

Experience rates for soul runecrafting can reach as high as 290k runecrafting exp per hour. The method will usually allow players to break even, although, be sure to check current Grand Exchange prices. A full breakdown of all the exp/hour rates can be found in the image below.

runecrafting experience rates and cost/loss per hour with abyss

Alternative Runecrafting Training Methods

Training runecrafting can be a very intense skill to train, especially if you are using the abyss prior to soul runecrafting at level 90+. Below we will list some of the most popular alternative training methods to gain runecrafting experience.

Runespan: Levels 1-99+

Runespan is a significantly less intense and more AFK method of training the Runecraft skill. Players can access the method at the Runespan Portals, located at the top of the Wizards’ Tower, south of Draynor.

Runespan is split into three levels, lower, middle and upper. On each of the floors the objective is to siphon from nodes and creatures to receive runecrafting experience and runes. However, nodes should be priorised as they provide significantly more experience than creatures. A list of the experience rates can be seen in the image below.

runespan experience rates per hour

However, it’s important to note, these hourly experience rates are not an accurate representation of what players will truly expect. As the Nodes will eventually break down and disappear, leaving players to seek out a new node to siphon from.

As such a more accurate representation of achievable experience rates is as follows:

Runecrafting LevelExperience per Hour
Levels 1-916,500 XP/Hour
Levels 9-3326,000 XP/Hour
Levels 33-5036,500 XP/Hour
Levels 50-6659,000 XP/Hour
Levels 66-9063,000 XP/Hour
Levels 90-9593,000 XP/Hour
Levels 95+100,000 – 150,000 XP/Hour

Creating Rune Pouches: Levels 50+

This method is relatively unknown because it can be extremely expensive, making it unfeasible for most players. Coupled with the fact that the Grand Exchange buy-limits make it difficult to maintain this method for long periods of time.

Magical Threads can be bought at a maximum of 1,000 per hour and Croesus Flakes at a maximum of 40,000 per hour, both are required to make the pouches.

The experience rates can be seen in the image below, along with the rate at which Magical Threads and Croesus Flakes are used.

Significant Runecrafting Equipment

ItemRequirementDescription
Master Runecrafter Robes15,000 Runecrafting Guild Tokens, 500 Runespan Points or 2,000 ThalerProvides a 5% boost to runecrafting experience when the full set is worn or 1% per piece.
Torstol Incense Sticks75 FiremakingUp to +2% experience boost to runecrafting depending on potency level of the incense sticks. They have a base timer of 10 minutes, and each additional incense adds 10 minutes to the timer up to a maximum of 60 minutes.
Wilderness SwordWilderness Diary tier completionsWilderness Sword 1 used for Edgeville teleports.
Wilderness Sword 3 & 4 provide a chance the Mage of Zamorak will teleport players directly to the centre of the abyss.
Focused Siphoning AurasN/aOne of the best auras in rs3 for runecrafting. It increases a players chance of siphoning successfully inside runespan by between 3 and 15% depending on the type of Aura. Players can use Vis Wax to extend a focused siphoning aura’s duration time by 50% or 100%.